Binding post



Feb. 18, 930. s, SEARS 1,747,989

BINDING POST Filed NOV. 8, 1926 Patented Feb. 18, 1930 UNITED STATES .VPVATENT OFFICE STERLING G. SEARS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK,AS SIGNOR TO NAYLOR RADIO CORPO- I RATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK BINDING- POS'I.

Application filed November 8,; 1926. Serial No. 146,887.

This invention relates to improvements in b1nd1ng posts.

Bmding posts as heretofore made were i usually composed of an axially-disposed I 5 screw on which was mounted a base portion having a flat surface and a clamping nut or head member threaded on the upper end .of said axially-disposed screw and adapted to clamp wire against said surface surrounding said axially-disposed screw on the base portion. In most cases, the wire which it is desired to clamp, was woundaround the axiallydisposed screw member and the nut was screwed down home. The tendency was, however, to squeeze the wire off the base.

The main object of my invention is to improve the construction of binding posts to the end that the wireinstead of having a tendency to be squeezed ofi the base will have a tendency to move toward the axial member and thus to be more tightly clamped in place and in fact to cause the connecting wire to be firmly held between the clamping members.

Preferably my invention consists in the provision in the clamping surface of the base *member of a slightly'depressed and prefer ably conical depression. This slightly conical depression causes the wires to be clamped to have a tendency to move toward the center or the lower portion of the depressed surface I and,therefore, to'be more firmly clamped in place. The making of this conical depression, however, produces at the perimeter of the clamping seat of this base member, a relative ly sharp edge which under normal'circumstances with a nut of the same dimensions would be likely to cut into that portion of the connecting wire which passes off the base and I preferably provide means for preventing this cutting of the wire by the relatively sharp edge or rim thus formed and in the preferred embodiment of myinvention I preferably reduce the diameter of the nut contiguous to r its base portion so that the perimeter ofthe clamping surface of the nut will engage the shank of the wire at a point out of registration i with the perimeter of the base portion, thus avoiding a scissors action and a cutting of the wire'at this point. The edge of the nut ,tions the species or preferred form illustrated which my improved binding post is mounted may also be rounded so as to further prevent the cutting of thewire thereby.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the combination of members and arrangement of parts so combined as to co-act and cooperate with each other in the performance of the functions and the accomplishmentof theresults herein contemplated, and comprises in one of its adapta- 1n the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 1s a vertical section through a binding post showing in full lines the clamping nut separated from the clamping base and also showing the closed position in dotted lines of the two parts;

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the wire clamped between the nut and the base mem- 7.5 and 2 indicates a central axial post member extending through a socket 1 in the panel or support 1 and being provided at its lower end with suitable means such as a nut 8 for forming a connection with a conductor 4: and also mounting the post in the panel 1. Mounted on the axial post member 2 is a base clamping portion 5 which is provided with a de pressed clamping surface 5*. Said clamping surface is preferably of conical conformation. The member 2 is screw threaded at its upper end as shown at 2 and mounted at the upper end thereof is a head or nut 6 adapted upon rotation to approach the depressed conical wire seat 5"-. The head or nut 6 is preferably 0 provided with a clamping surface 6 of less diameter than the surface 5 and the edge or perimeter 6 is preferably round.

In the preferred form of my invention shown, the nut portion is preferably irremovably connected to the axial member 2. In the preferred embodiment shown, the permanent connection between the member 2 and nut is preferably accomplished by providing at the upper end of the member 2 a surface which is slightly cupped or provided with a depression and the nut is provided with a central socket 8 having a wall 9 of less curvature than the cupping of the end 7 of the screw member 2. This cupping of the screw member 2 weakens the perimetal portion and when the surface 9 is screwed down upon it, the perimetal edges thereof are squeezed outwardly so as to form a head 10 asshown in Fig. 24 and the perimetal portion '10 will thus form a stop to prevent the removal of the nut from the screw. y

- In connecting the wire to the binding post,

' the end of the wire is wound about the central screw portion and the nut is screwed home. Because of the conlcal, depressed-surface 5*, the wire, instead of having a tendency to slip ofi the edge, will have a tendency to move ine wardly toward the screw and will be tightly gripped. Furthermore, any cutting of the wire at the shank or that portion which passes over the edge or rimvof the binding post will be prevented by preferably, first, making the clamping surface 6 of the nut of less diameter so that the perimeter thereof will not register with the somewhat sharpenedperimeter of the surface 5 and will aflord greater space between the surfaces of the clamping members, and second, because of the rounding off of the perimetal edge of the nut, the cutting action in the downward movement of the nut v will be avoided. 7

Having described my invention, I claim A binding post embodying an axially-disposed screw portion, a base portion connected with said screw and a nut member arranged to cooperate with said base portion to clamp a Wire therebetwecn, said base portion having a depressed surface inclining inwardly toward said axial member, said nut member having a perimeter reduced in diameter to cause its edge to be positioned opposite a portion' of such clamping surface inward ofthe edge thereof. v i

, In Witness whereof, I have signed my name ;to the foregoing specification.

STERLING G. SEARS. 

